Australian Harpin’ His Way to 10K

It’s true that Australian Peter Harper, better know as just Harper, can blow a mean blues harmonica. That has led him to be invited to play a number of blues festivals. But Harper is anything but a strict blues man. His sound is a mix of rock, jam, aboriginal didgeridoo and, of course, blues. And his original songs are much more than, “Baby, shake that thang.”
In his native Australia, Harper released six albums that earned him several Australian Music Awards, including male vocalist of the year, song of the year, band of the year, and acoustic artist of the year. This took him to far off places like Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria and Singapore before making it to the shores of America in 1996 where Blind Pig signed him, making Harper their first international artist.
Harper started playing blues festivals and the huge Summerfest in Milwaukee that he has played every year since 1996. “The problem was we’d come over for four months, and I’d be gone back to Australia for the rest of the year. You really can’t build anything up like that,” Harper said.
Currently, Harper makes his home on eleven acres in Michigan. “It gives me a lot of peace. I can do some writing and check out the critters,” Harper said in a recent interview. “I like watching animals. We’ve got wild turkeys everywhere.” From this retreat, Harper has launched into a whirlwind summer tour, hitting about thirty festivals but only about ten are flat out blues festivals.
Though blues has been good to him, Harper feels his new, more eclectic sound has a broader appeal. “If you just call yourself blues, you’re limiting your crowd,” he explained. “We wanted to move out of that blues thing.” And Harper seems to have found a home among jammers. “We did a festival with Ekoostik Hookah. They asked me to get up with them. It was great fun.”
At 10KLF, Harper will not only bring his hot harmonicas and his versatile voice, but he’ll also be bringing his didgeridoo.

“Harmonica was my first instrument,” Harper said. “The didgeridoo only came along about six years ago. I met with the aborigines and got proper teaching.”

That ethnic sound is a tasty undercurrent in Harper’s new work, casting some of his tunes into alt rock and roots rock. Harper currently has his eye on a Chinese sheng – an ancient water harmonica – that he’d like to bring into his repertoire in the future.
It is clear that Harper is evolving away from straight blues, allowing him to write songs that reflect his view of the planet, politics and spirit. Catch his act at 10KLF this month.

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Who: Harper
When:  Thursday, July 23, 3:30 p.m.
Where: Saloon Stage, 10KLF, Soo Pass Ranch, Detroit Lakes
Tickets: http://www.10klf.com